


The Infernalium: So You Sold Your Soul, What Comes Next?

by RemiBrokenwing



Series: The Infernalium [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Dealmaker, Demons, Making deals with demons, Original Species, Original Universe, So you want to be a demon, guidebook, how to
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-16
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-08-24 16:40:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16643876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RemiBrokenwing/pseuds/RemiBrokenwing
Summary: The premier guide for new Inferni, So You Sold Your Soul, What Comes Next will take you through all the intricacies and politics of your new life as a dealmaking demon in an Infernalium. Learn what, exactly, an Infernalium is, what types of Inferni you might expect to meet, and how each new soul fits into the hierarchy therein.





	1. Section 1: What Is The Infernalium?

**Author's Note:**

> This is my Infernalium. It's an original universe, and a sandbox. It exists specifically to allow for more worldbuilding whenever the mood strikes and it has unlimited uses. The first section, this section, is purely a guide on the universe and how it functions. Further sections will include short works of fiction and smut. Anyone is welcome to make an Infernalium AU. I hope you will.

**Section 1: What Is The Infernalium?**

 

**The Infernalium**

Put simply, The Infernalium is a living pocket universe. It can appear at any time or place, in any universe. Often, it takes the form of a storefront, but its nature is more like a hive. The Infernalium appears to be a composite organism, made up of the pocket universe itself and the Inferni that inhabit it. No one knows the true shape of the Infernalium, but it is known to possess a beating heart, the source from which new Inferni emerge. 

The storefront of the Infernalium is theorized to be a type of lure. It has, on occasion, been claimed that Infernalium storefronts have appeared at multiple locations at the same time although this has never been proven. What is known for sure is that the storefront itself is much too small to contain the interior structures of the hive. 

There are many regions and subregions to the Infernalium, but there appears to be no set map. Areas shift around to suit the Inferni that dwell within it, usually in response to a need, but sometimes seemingly at random. Occasionally, a new region will spring up or one will die off, these changes seem to be in response to shifting power dynamics, but could also simply be a natural life cycle of the beast. Each manager has their own region which forms itself around their desires, although there are regions with no known manager. 

It is speculated that the Infernalium is not actually one individual specimen, but a species. It is unknown how many exist, or the degree of variation between individuals of the species. 

 

**The Inferni**

The Inferni are a type of deal making demon. They are created by the Infernalium from the souls of humans and animals who have made deals with Inferni or on at least one notable occasion, with the Infernalium itself. They gain their ability to grant wishes from the Infernalium by unknown means, and seem to instinctively know how to grant wishes and take souls upon being formed. 

Inferni are shaped within the heart of the Infernalium when an Inferni brings back a soul it has harvested. There are many types of Inferni, which will be covered in  Section 2: What Type of Inferni Are You? 

 

**Social Structure**

Inferni exist on a structure of indentured servitude. There are several levels of Inferni, starting at the bottom with the indentured. 

These Inferni are still trapped within the terms of their contract, and are working off their debt to the Inferni with whom they made their deal. They’re called “indentured” because they can eventually become free. All contracts made by an indentured Inferni automatically belong to their Manager, and every year they earn by making a new deal is one less year they will remain indentured. The Indentured have no inherent rights or protections, they are obligated to obey their manager until their contract is fulfilled. Unless they specified protections for themselves when they wrote the terms of their contract, their manager can do with them whatever they like. Their entire purpose is to serve their master… er, manager. Some indentured inferni are used as harems, while others are treated more like employees, yet others are kept as pets or livestock, depending on the proclivities of their managers. If a person were to summon a demon without a specific goal in mind, an indentured is the most likely to answer the summons and carry out the deal on behalf of their manager. 

Managers are Inferni who have worked off the terms of their contracts and taken on contracts of their own. They are free and outside of the influence of other Inferni for the most part. They are called “managers” because “masters” just has such a negative ring to it, don’t you think?

Both managers and indentured are the workers of the hive, bringing it new souls and keeping the organism running. The Infernalium feeds and houses them, and when they are not taking new contacts for the hive, they are free to do as they please. 

Soldiers are the direct creations of the Infernalium’s Agent. They are rare and precious beasts, each one filling a particular need of the hive. Some of them reward good workers, while others function as a deterrent. Often they have a team of workers under them, both managers and indentured. Any deal made by a soldier will result in an assistant for that soldier. 

The last type of Inferni is the hive’s Queen, known as the Agent. He speaks for the Infernalium, makes deals to create new Soldiers, and acts as judge and jury for lesser Inferni. It is said that he was the first Inferni of the hive and he can speak directly to the Infernalium. 

 

**Summoning a Demon**

 

The Infernalium can be a bit tricky at times to summon. It seems that it is able to sense the type of desperation or greed that comes from a being willing to sell their soul. The Infernalium will respond to standard demon summoning techniques, provided the intent is there. 

Murder is another method to summon the Infernalium, the caveat being that it is more inclined to make a deal with the victim than with the murderer. Occasionally it will take both. 

It is also known to appear at locations of mass suffering and take large numbers of souls at one time, or to lurk in areas plagued by misfortune and wait for victims to come looking for a solution to their woes. New potential Inferni should travel to areas plagued by war or disease, and look for someone selling salvation. 

 

**Paying for Goods and Services**

 

The most common way to seal a transaction with the Inferni is with the dealmaker’s soul. Usually, the terms of the deal will allow the human to keep their soul to the end of their natural lifespan, but some deals come with a time limit. For instance, a human may ask for a specified number of years to enjoy their reward before the inferni returns for their soul. Some deals, however, result in the soul being claimed immediately. Unwisely worded deals can have this sort of result, for instance a deal stating “I want him to stay faithful to me for the rest of my life” may result in the dealmaker’s immediate demise. It isn’t commonly known, but Inferni will often accept terms of servitude, rather that take the soul “for all eternity”. These deals are a secret menu item, they will not be offered if the dealmaker doesn’t ask. Common terms include 50 years, 100 years, and 1,000 years. An Inferni who wishes to keep an indentured after their term has expired will often offer them a new deal. 

Some Inferni are known as gamblers, and their deals are a bit more complex. A gambler will bet their services against the soul of the dealmaker, if the dealmaker can keep to the terms of the agreement for a set number of years, they get their wish for free, but if they break the agreement, the gambler gets their soul. One particular gambler does this with immortality wishes. He offers the dealmaker immortality on the condition that they don’t change their mind within 100 years. If they do change their mind, their soul belongs to him for 1,000 years. 

Soldiers are an exception to the usual dynamic. They can be convinced to take alternative payment for their services. What these payments are depends on the individual Inferni. Some will take food, blood, sex, or pain; while others want more substantial offerings. While they’re unlikely to take your firstborn, they may ask for your fertility or something else valuable to you.

 


	2. Section 2: What Type of Inferni Are You?

**Section 2: What Type of Inferni Are You?**

 

**Type: Lost Lambs**

 

Physical Attributes: Lost Lamb type Inferni are defined by their sheep or goat like qualities such as wooly coats or tufts, ram or goat horns, caprine ears, and cloven hooves. Often, Lost Lambs also demonstrate features that are not sheep-like including claws, fangs, demon or predator tails or wings, scales, or fins. Overall, the look of a Lost Lamb will blend the innocence of a lamb with some type of disconcerting otherness. The out of place traits are referred to as “impurities” and they create the unique look of each Lamb. 

 

Origin: Lost Lambs are usually created by deals made in desperation. Typically the deals are intended to save their own or someone else’s life. Other characteristics that can result in a lost lamb include kindness, consideration, gentleness, and purity. The type of soul that results in a true Lost Lamb isn’t usually the type that would make a deal with a demon in the first place. 

 

**Subtype: Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing**

 

Physical Differences: The wolf subtype looks more purely sheeplike than a pure Lost Lamb. Often the only thing to indicate their otherness is their tendency to have fangs, claws, and more wolf-like ears and tails. 

 

Origins: This subtype is created from the soul of someone who on the surface lived a good and saintly life, but this dealmaker has never done a good deed without an ulterior motive. This subtype is much more common than a true Lost Lamb. 

 

**Subtype: Barometz**

 

Physical differences: The Barometz subtype take their coloration from flowers and plants, they often have bright colors that wouldn’t be found on a mammal. Occasionally they will have plant-like features such as roots, leaves, thorns or flowers. 

 

Origin: No one knows what causes a Lost Lamb to turn out with Barometz coloration. It may have something to do with the soul in question, but it may also be a random anomaly. 

 

**Type: Beastmen**

 

Physical Attributes: Beastmen look like twisted animals that have stood up on two legs through great personal effort, rather than being truly anthropomorphic. They would be much more comfortable on four legs, but they are much too proud. They often display misplaced human body parts. 

 

Origin: Beastmen are created from the souls of arrogant people who make deals to gain respect and admiration; unless “beauty” is also specified in the deal. 

 

**Subtype: Beauty and The Beast**

 

Physical differences: This subtype will often have a human face as well as their animal face. Occasionally, an entire human torso and head will jut from their beastly form alongside the beast torso and animal head. More fortunate Beauty subtypes have a purely human face instead of an animal face.  

 

Origin: The Beauty and the Beast subtype is the result of the dealmaker wishing to alter the beauty of another person for personal gratification, or to marry a beautiful person. They can also result when someone makes a deal for a beautiful child or a child of a specific gender. 

 

**Type: Beasts of Burden**

 

Physical Attributes: Beasts of Burden have the heads and torsos of human beings, typically attractive humans, and the lower body of some other creature, most often a quadrupedal animal, but arachnids, insects, and even plants are not uncommon. 

 

Origin: This type of Inferni are known to “carry” the deals of others, taking on the debts of other dealmakers in an effort to protect them or save their soul. Occasionally two of these Inferni will be made at the same time while trying to protect each other. 

 

**Subtype: Carry that Weight**

 

Origin: These Inferni made a deal when they could no longer fulfill some responsibility or duty, so that they wouldn’t have to leave their work unfinished. 

 

**Subtype: Funnel-Web**

 

Physical Attributes: Funnel-Webs usually take the form of a Jorogumo with a human upper body and the lower body of a spider, although they occasionally have the lower body of some other type of predatory or parasitic insect. 

 

Origin: Funnel-webs come from the type of soul that uses and manipulates others. They are the equal opposite of other Beast of Burden types, expecting others to sacrifice for them while receiving nothing in return. They were often stalkers and abusers in their human life. 

 

**Type: Ichthys**

 

Physical Attributes: Ichthys have the upper bodies of human beings and the lower bodies of some form of aquatic life. Most often, their lower body consists of a fish tail, but it can be vary widely from individual to individual. It is theorized that these differences are the result of the type of soul, but a solid connection has never been made. 

 

Origin: Ichthys come from souls that love the sea. Often they were sailors or pirates in life. They can be any type of dealmaker and make any type of deal, even souls that would otherwise become a different type of Inferni.

 

**Subtype: The Drowned**

 

Physical differences:  The Drowned share the fishlike qualities of normal Ichthys, but they display an unusual amount of damage and tattering on their fins. Often they will also have damage or missing parts on their human half as well. 

 

Origin: These Ichthys often come from drowning sailors making a deal, although they can also result from other dealmakers who later died by drowning. 

 

**Type: Sacreligious Dove**

 

Physical Attributes: The Dove looks, for all intents and purposes, like the commonly held iconography of an angel. They may also display tails, hooves, horns, or other animal-like qualities, but without fail the Sacrilegious Dove will have a human body, wings, and a beautiful face. 

 

Origin: The Sacrilegious Dove is created from the soul of a fallen True Believer. They are often created as a result of the dark sides of faith. Any religious practice that causes misery can result in this type of Inferni. 

 

**Subtype: Bloody Dove**

Origin: A sacreligious dove that makes a deal that takes other believers down with it results in a Bloody Dove. The only difference between the main type and this subtype are the circumstances of their creation. 

  
  


**Type: Imps and Devils**

 

Physical Attributes: These inferni look like a stereotypical demons. They often have pointy tails, horns, fangs, and claws. Some display membranous bat wings. These inferni can range in size from extra small Imps to extra large Devils and everything in between. 

 

Origin: These Inferni are a dime a dozen. There is usually nothing special about their deals or their souls. Cars, money, sex, and luxury are the order of the day for these boring fellows. 

  
  


**Type: Beastlings**

 

Physical Attributes: Many types of Inferni could also be classed as Beastlings. These inferni have the head and torso of a human, but may have animal ears, tails, digitigrade feet or hooves, and other animal features. 

 

Origin: Beastlings come from all classes of Inferni and various origins. 

 

**Subtype: Bullheaded**

 

Physical differences:  Like other beastlings, the torso of this type of inferni is human, but their head is always non-human. Their legs and lower torso might also be animal rather than human, but they are always bipedal. 

 

**Type: Snake in the Grass**

 

Physical Attributes: These inferni are scaled to various degrees. They can have fully human physiques with scalded skin, or they can appear like anthropomorphized lizards or dragons. Many have tails or wings, lizard or dragon talons, or slit eyes. Fang and claws are also a common trait. 

 

Origin: Snakes in the grass are the result of a soul that was opportunistic in life. Someone who took advantage of other people or bad circumstances for their own personal gain. 

 

**Subtype: Naga**

 

Physical differences:  These snakes have a serpentine lower body and a human upper torso. Some slither with their human body held up above the ground while others crawl on their bellies. 

 

Origin: Naga subtypes can either be the result of someone more opportunistic than most Snake types or someone more prideful. 

 

**Type: Sphynx**

 

Physical Attributes: The head of this type of inferni is always human, while the body is that of some other quadruped creature. Occasionally the torso will be all or partially human, but fixed in a four-legged stance. 

 

Origin: Sphynx deals are often made with the intent to deceive. Common deals include those intended to force a partner into marriage or parenthood, although they may also be intended to break up couples or families, or to receive an unfair ruling in court. 

 

**Type: Tar Zombie**

 

Physical Attributes: These frightening beasts can be quadrupedal or bipedal and human to varying degrees. Some of them shift their forms as they see fit. They are made up of skeletal remains and a sticky goo that can be any color, although black is the most common. This goo is fully sapient and in possession of a full range of senses. No one is sure if they require their skeletal elements or only prefer them. 

 

Origin: These inferni are born from souls that are prone to possessiveness. Often thier deals reflect their tenacious desire to hold onto someone or something long past the point where they should have let go.

 


	3. Section 3: Subtypes (General)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is actually unfinished, but given the evolutionary nature of the Infernalium, nothing is really finished. Please enjoy what already exists.

**Section 3: Subtypes (General)**

 

General Subtypes can manifest in any inferni, regardless of their primary type.

 

**Subtype: Queens**

 

Physical differences: Queens are a type of inferni capable of emitting a strong pheromone that causes nearby drones to go into a heat-like state. All queens possess a pseudopenis which doubles as an ovipositor, regardless of gender. During sex, a drone, soldier,  or another queen will fuck and ejaculate into the Queen’s pseudopenis, and then the Queen will lay their eggs in one of the drones waiting to service them. Many queens have a knot to lock their ovipositor in place while they lay their eggs. 

 

**Subtype: Soldiers**

 

Physical differences: This subtype has the pheromone potential of a Queen to a lesser extent. Soldiers exist to both serve and service the Queen. The penis of a soldier is self-lubricating, and well suited to filling both the pseudopenis of the Queen or the egg slit of a Drone. Soldiers produce a copious amount of cum, and their ejaculation can even cause inflation. 

 

**Subtype: Drones**

 

Physical differences: Drones are a type of inferni that are powerfully drawn to Queens. Their bodies possess a special self lubricating genital slit that receives the eggs of the queen. Once a queen has locked into their egg pouch, a special series of muscles inside their slit will close around the Queen’s cock and massage it to help facilitate the oviposition. The egg pouch opening is behind and below the drone’s cock, and the pouch itself can expand to facilitate an enormous number of eggs, often causing a distinct bulge in the abdomen until the eggs are laid. Often the penis of the drone will have a shape designed to pleasure the queen, common forms include knots, corkscrews, and flares. 

 

**Subtype: Micro**

 

Physical Attributes: As the name implies, Micro Inferni are a subtype that is considerably smaller than their standard size counterparts. They can range in size from doll like to half-size, but they are always completely proportionate to a standard adult Inferni. 

 

**Subtype: Macro**

 

Physical Attributes: Macro Inferni are proportionate to a standard sized Inferni on a much larger scale. They can range from double the size of a normal inferni all the way up to being the height of a skyscraper. 

 

**Subtype: Slime**

 

Physical Attributes: They look the same as a normal inferni, except they are made of slime. Attributes that may come with being a slime are opacity, elasticity, slickness, or stickiness. Slime inferni can be squashed, stretched, penetrated from any angle, and are always a consistently warm and squishy place to get off. As an added bonus, they can be used conveniently as a living masturbation aid, particularly if they are a micro subtype, or you are a macro subtype. 


End file.
